What’s New on HartfordInfo.org

October 2009

What’s New on HartfordInfo.orgis a periodic update announcing recent additions to HartfordInfo.org. Please feel free to forward this message to others. To be added to the distribution list send an email message through our feedback page.

HartfordInfo.org, a program of the Hartford Public Library, is a gateway to information and data on issues important to those who live and work in Hartford and the region.

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Of Particular Note!

Hartford Votes~Hartford Vota Website – The Hartford Votes~Hartford Vota Coalition is a group of organizations united by the common goal of increasing voter turnout in Hartford. Check out the web site – go to www.hartfordinfo.org and click on the Hartford Votes~Hartford Vota box on the right side.

Hartford Elected Officials Map – A map prepared by Hartford Public Library listing Hartford elected officials and how to contact them. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "elected map" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

New Data on HartfordInfo.org:

Noise Ordinance Enforcement – New data from the Hartford Police Department on the number of noise violations demonstrates the stepped up enforcement of the new noise ordinance. Go to the center panel of www.hartfordInfo.org, click on Crime Data under "Hartford Data Sets". Then, click on the third bullet, "Data on enforcement of noise ordinance."

American Community Survey (ACS) 2008 – 2008 Data Profiles provide data on demographic, social, and housing topics for Hartford. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "acs 2008" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Hartford Public Schools – Data on Attendance and Demographics by the neighborhood in which students reside are now available for the 2005-2006 school year. Go to the center panel of www.hartfordInfo.org, and click on Schools Data under "Hartford Data Sets".

Connecticut’s Challenge: Preparing Our Workforce– Strengthening Our Community Colleges – This report examines the important role Connecticut community colleges play in preparing adult workers for the jobs of the future. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "community workforce" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Presentation to Hartford City Council Quality of Life Committee by Enid Rey, Director, Hartford Office for Youth Services and Daryl K. Roberts, Chief of Police, October 20, 2009 – This presentation was made in response to recent media reports of increased gang activity in Hartford schools. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "Enid Rey" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Why Sheff Still Matters: New Research on Poverty, Diversity and Achievement – A presentation by Susan Eaton and Gina Chirichigno about the continued importance of the Sheff v. O’Neill case. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "sheff matters" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Connecticut Economic Strategic Plan – The State recently released its economic development plan. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "Connecticut plan" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Common Ground: A Vision for the Swift Factory – Presentation made to the Northeast NRZ on possible future uses of the Swift Factory. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "swift" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

The Landing: What's Happening at Adriaen's Landing – A newsletter of the Adriaen's Landing District, highlighting the new developments. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "happening landing" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Neighborhoods And The Black-White Mobility Gap – This report explores one potentially important factor behind the black-white mobility gap: the impact of neighborhood poverty rates experienced during childhood. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "mobility" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Connecticut Counts 2009: Point-in-Time Homeless Count – Data collected earlier this year on homeless individuals and families in Connecticut. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "homeless count" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Planning the Future of the Hartford Landfill – This document provides a variety of options for the future of the Hartford landfill. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "landfill future" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

2009 National KIDS COUNT Data Book – Profile on the well-being of America’s children on a state-by-state basis. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "kids count" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Blighted Properties Complaint Form – A form designed by the Hartford Anti-Blight Coalition to file a complaint about blighted properties in your neighborhood. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "blight form" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Hartford Shelters – A listing of shelters for the homeless in Hartford developed by the Hartford Public Library. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "shelters" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Hartford Soup Kitchens – A listing of shelters for the homeless in Hartford developed by the Hartford Public Library. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type "soup" in the Google search box and then click "Search."

Through agreements with the Hartford Courant, Cityline Blog, the Hartford Business Journal, the Hartford News, the Hartford Advocate, and the Northend Agent's, HartfordInfo.org continues to offer selected articles as permanent additions to the web site. Some recent additions include:

Good News in Hartford

YMCA's New Facility Puts Neighborhood Plan Into Practice – Three years after the Greater Hartford YMCA closed its branch at Bushnell Park, the new $10.9 million, 43,000-square-foot, Wilson-Gray Youth and Family Center opened. Click here for the article.

Billings Forge A Success Story In Urban Redevelopment – When the Melville Charitable Trust bought Billings Forge, a former factory complex, the foundation aimed to invest in what was already available rather than starting from scratch. Click here for the article.

How I Became A Hartford Convert – Like many who live outside of Hartford, this author had preconceived notions about the city before an internship at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum showed her that Hartford had more than she ever imagined. Click here for the article.

Taking A Model Approach – Sallie Toussaint, a beauty queen, model, actress and singer, has become a leader in a strong neighborhood partnership with the Hartford police department to get the streetwalkers in her neighborhood out. Click here for the article.

After A Decade Of Delays, Front Street Beginning – Front Street is finally rising from a long-desolate lot on Columbus Boulevard. Click here for the article.

New KFC A Tasteful Addition To Farmington Avenue –The newly rebuilt KFC that opened on Hartford's Farmington Avenue is a textbook example of how collaborative planning can yield good results. Click here for the article.

In Gymnastics Afterglow, Hartford Area Looks To Keep Competing – Next year's USA Gymnastics national championships will draw top athletes and thousands of fans — and an estimated $7.5 million to local businesses — to Hartford. Click here for the article.

The Pull Of The River: Rowing Classes Increase In Popularity – At Riverfront Recapture, estimates are that the number of people taking rowing lessons has increased 30 percent in two years. Click here for the article.

Middle School Prospers In City – A small private middle school, Covenant Preparatory School in the YWCA Building, opened in 2008 and has expanded this year. Click here for the article.

From A Dump To A Garden Greenhouse – What Hartford needs is a facility on the soon-to-be-capped landfill that creates jobs and commerce. The perfect fit for this difficult-to-build-on site is a modern greenhouse. Click here for the article.

Paving The Way For An Arts District? – To create an arts district, more strategically placed projects are needed beyond the recent renovations of the 1927-vintage Moorish Revival building on Pearl Street. Click here for the article.

City's Public Safety Complex on Target – Work on the city of Hartford 's $77 million public safety complex on the north rim of downtown is “on schedule and under budget,'' Mayor Eddie Perez says. Click here for the article.

New Bridge Could Open Key Areas– Despite the efforts of Riverfront Recapture, Hartford’s riverfront still remains detached from the city. A strategically placed bridge could be part of the solution. Click here for the article.

Creating Colt – Developer Lance Robbins isn't sugarcoating the challenges that remain to make Colt Gateway a viable part of the community. Click here for the article.

People and the Economy

Third of Region's Nonprofits May Close– The recession has hit the region's nonprofits hard, with nearly a third concerned that they may shutter their operations in the coming year. Click here for the article.

Income Gap Separating Wealthy From Middle And Lower Class Virtually Unchanged In The State– Defying predictions that the recession would help level the economic playing field, the huge income gap separating the state's wealthiest residents and the middle and lower classes surprised experts by remaining virtually unchanged from 2007 to 2008. Click here for the article.

Desperately Seeking A Place Out Of The Cold– Helen Ubiñas writes that at the Immaculate Conception Shelter, they are seeing a lot of new, younger, whiter faces come in looking for shelter. Click here for the article.

Number Of Hartford Area People Living In Poverty Increases – The poverty rate, particularly for children, increased faster in Connecticut than in any other state in 2008. Click here for the article.

Hartford Schools Getting National Praise After Reforming System – Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski's efforts to radically reform the school system are now entering their third year, and Hartford schools are beginning to gain respect on a national level. Click here for the article.

Standardized Math Tests Show State 's Economic, Ethnic Disparities Persist – Despite recent efforts to address the intractable achievement gap between poor students and their better-off peers, Connecticut continues to have the widest disparity in the country. Click here for the article.

School Governance Councils: Making Parents Partners – Twenty-eight school-level governance councils consisting of parent, community members, and staff, are being created. Click here for the article.

Dr. Perry's Beef – Steve Perry, principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School, has a problem with his fellow educators and parents, and he's written a book about it. Click here for the article.

Hartford A Top College Town? – In what might be considered a blow to the city's inferiority complex, a recent national survey ranked Hartford among the top college towns in the country. Click here for the article.

In the Neighborhoods

North End Rehab At Risk – Belying its public image, Hartford's Albany Avenue has seen steady and positive change for a decade. Now that progress may be at risk. Click here for the article.

Sculpture Is Imperfect, Perhaps, But Still Important – It's easy to see the flaws of the Monument to the Puerto Rican Family, but the statue reminds us how far a community has come. Click here for the article.

Developer's Plan In Hartford's North End Pits Homeownership Proponents, Green Space Champions – Developer Albert Gary has a controversial plan to use vacant land at Brackett Park in the city's North End for a housing development. Click here for the article.

State's New Economic Plan Not So Strategic – In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that Gov. M. Jodi Rell should reject the long-awaited Economic Strategic Plan. Click here for the article.

We Need Immigrants To Sustain Us
– According to Rick Green, we should be talking about how immigrants are an essential part of the workforce of the future. Click here for the article.

Profiting from Shadow Labor– The state's two-year crackdown on companies that avoid paying employee taxes and workers' compensation insurance has resulted in 220 stop-work orders at construction sites. Click here for the article.

Planting New Trees Can Also Save Money – A few years ago researchers in Chicago concluded that living in a neighborhood with trees might actually make you safer. What impact could this have on Hartford? Click here for the article.

Transportation

Hartford Shuttle Can Take Big Step – A wider loop of the Star Shuttle would make public transit more accessible and create synergy between institutions in and around downtown. Click here for the article.

A Chance To Heal Hartford's I-84 Scar – After more than 40 years of service, the Aetna Viaduct between Hartford's West End and downtown must either be torn down, renovated or redesigned. Click here for the article.

Consultant: Hartford-To-New Britain Busway Needs A Stylish Image To Draw Riders – Making a success of the long-planned New Britain busway will take skillful marketing even more than engineering and construction. Click here for the article.

As Downtown Hartford's Old Broadcast House Is Razed, Developer Rethinks Design Of Replacement – The glossy architectural renderings unveiled last year for an office tower on the site of the old WFSB, Channel 3, are about to become even more eye-catching. Click here for the article.

Hartford's Bridge To A Vital Downtown – Downtown Hartford is about to become more pedestrian-friendly, when a new bridge turns the side of the city closest to the river into a grand plaza that will connect almost directly to Main Street and the west side of downtown. Click here for the article.

Hartford's Merchants Cite Need For New Phase Of Retail Growth – Merchants see potential for downtown, which they say has a firm foundation and is ripe for a new phase of retail development. Click here for the article.

Notable Transitions

Likable, Effective City Clerk Will Be Sorely Missed– Dan Carey was one of the finest public servants to work in Hartford government in living memory. Click here for the article.

A Drug-Addicted Past Turned Into A Gift– Raùl Gonzàlez, a street-smart kid from Brooklyn and Puerto Rico, got a second chance in life when he found God and renounced drugs. Click here for the article.

In Connecticut, The Hartford's Ramani Ayer Leaves A Remarkable Legacy– Ramani Ayer, retiring CEO of The Hartford Insurance Company, was honored for his years of service to the region. Click here for the article.